The Times of India reported (14-9-87): Jaipur - In what appeared to be a revival of a centuries old custom of "Sati", a young woman belonging to a warrior caste Rajhistan climbed into the funeral pyre of her husband, police said yesterday, Eighteen-year old Roop Kanwar's husband, Mansingh, had died in a hospital in Kikar district on Friday. His body was later taken to his home village at Diwrala for cremation. Roop Kanwar sat on the funeral pyre while it was lit by one of Mansingh's relatives. Hundreds of villagers who knew of her "Sati" well in advance gathered at the spot shouting slogans in praise of the burning widow. Police, who claimed to have received the information late, registered a case against four close relatives of Mansingh for having "HELPED" Roop Kanwar commit "Sati".

Roop Kanwar's husband, Mansingh took more than Rs. 100,000 worthy of dowry in the form of money, 25 tola of gold, a TV, a radio and a refrigerator. Though Mansingh had demanded dowry worth of 200,000 rupees, her father had successfully negotiated and reduced the amount of Rs. 100,000/=. So far in the same village more than 23 dowry killings have occurred in the last 3 years as recompense for not bringing the promised dowry in time.

The paper continues that the most revealing statement came from Mr. Cheeta Singh, a village teacher who said:

    "After all, she had no life to look forward to. As a widow, remarriage was out of the
    question in this Hindu tradition bound community".

The teacher continues:

    "The society treats a widow as a "kulachani" (an evil omen), and an economic liability. She
    has to remain barefoot, sleep on the floor and is not allowed to venture out of the house.
    She is slandered if seen talking to a male. It was better that she died, than live such a life
    he said".